A fun read with gorgeous art.

The Beauty and the Beast flavor isn't really there for me. Without knowing it was supposed to be or was part of the inspiration, it reads like a superhero graphic novel and there's nothing wrong with that inherently. The usual hallmarks are there, less than positive organizations with less than stellar intentions and a hero getting used to her job.

There are some monsters to fight and a problem to solve. It's nothing earth-shattering but a fun read all the same.

I have to recognize that I have a soft spot for the comics of Zenescope, in particular "Robin Hood: Outlaw". They are not particularly original in their plot department, and sometimes their characters can be been-there-done-that, but they are so much fun to read, with easy to connect with characters and non-stop action, that is easy to overlook any flaws they may have.

"Belle: Oath of Thorns" is a perfect example of what I wrote about above: the plot is simple as they come: superheroine with a mission, some shady organization, betrayals, family issues... but the action is non-stop, it is very well depicted and developed (except maybe a couple of messy vignettes) and it also has a good sense of humor. Again, it will not surprise the reader, but we are not here for a new understanding of our place on the universe, and that shortcoming is easily forgiven. Belle is a great character to be with, even though there is too much inner dialogue (it would be better to cut a little bit on that for future installments). and the relationships developed through the volume makes the reader care for her and her friends.

In the art department it is classic but good, with charismatic drawings for the characters, be they human or monsters. The color palette is good and the action easy to follow. Maybe the male characters are a little bit too clonish.

A solid effort, and a good read.

A superhero technological fantasy reimagining for beauty and the beast that uses its source material more as a handwavy reference rather than a story guide. Without those fairy tale genes, it's really just a standard superhero comic. The art is competent, the plotting is nothing special, the characterization is a bit overwrought. Fine but more cheesy Linda Hamilton Wonder Woman than Disney Classic.

This was overall a fun graphic novel to read. Belle is just getting used to her new occupation and stops some mythical creatures from doing some terrible. She obtains a mysterious artifact, one she hopes can help someone close to her. While this tale moves along, they will learn more about their shattered past. Along the way, she will find out people she thought she could trust end up having ulterior motives. As this graphic novel comes to a close Belle gets those she cares about out of a very dangerous situation in one piece.

I really enjoyed reading a different version of Belle and the Beast. It was really action packed as the first one. I forgot some of the details from the first one but I figured it out as soon as I read the story. I hope we can learn more about C.H.I.P but I guess there will be more. I'll definitely keep reading this series.

The second book in this series proves just as enjoyable as the first. I had found the opener a bit rough around the edges, and wilfully taking us to extremes just for the sake of it. Here, things felt more ironed out, and the rough edges smoothed away show this for what it is – a high-octane, slightly silly fantasy actioner, with the purpose of getting as many "I am your father" moments on to the page as possible. We find out more of Belle's family history as monster hunters, and gain a much greater insight into what they're doing today, shown to us by the six single issues compiled here that form one high-on-momentum arc. Gone is the monster-of-the-month flavour of before, and gone too the Beauty and the Beast riffs. This isn't really mature enough for an adult audience, but as a teen comic it's certainly lively and well put together. To the right reader, then, it earns four stars.

It's been at least a decade since I've seen a Xenoscope book, so I'd kind of forgotten that the company does a lot of re-imagined fairy tales, and it took me a moment to realise that of course the Belle here refers to Belle from Beauty and the Beast. That being said, even with the knowledge I didn't expect this book to go the way it did.

Belle: Oath of Thorns follows Anabelle 'Belle' DiMarco as she continues to work with the paramilitary group C.H.I.P., helping with their mission to track down and neutralise monsters across the globe. In exchange for her assistance the group has agreed to try to help cure Belle's brother of the curse that has transformed him into a monstrous beast.

Despite being a later volume of the series the book fills you in quite quickly on the things that I'd missed, and important information that I needed to understand who everyone was, and their relationships with each other were explained in plenty time enough that I never felt like I was a set behind, or that the book wasn't accessible because I hadn't read any of the series prior. This was a good thing for myself, but as I'd never read it before I can't say if these segments would drag for anyone who's familiar with the series, or whether these recaps provide any more information that they'd usually have. But as a new reader they proved indispensable.

The central plot of the book, of Belle being set up by Otts to be killed off whilst she is able to steal the curse that is afflicting Alex so that she could weaponise it doesn't always make sense, and there are a lot of moments that don't quite hold together once you start to really look at it. For example, why is Belle sent to fight Medusa and her daughters in the hopes that it will lead to her death rather than Otts just simply killing Belle whilst she had her in her secret base. There's a moment where Belle is drugged unconscious, and would have provided the perfect opportunity to kill her or keep her locked up.

There also seems to be a lot of coincidences that become quite vital to solving the plot too, such as Belle's father just happening to turn up right at the perfect moment to save her life, and to help her get back into C.H.I.P. to save her friends. And there's the fact that Candlestick was given a distress signal to use decades before that's not only still useful, but manages to get picked up without any issue. These might not be huge things, but when the plot hinges on them they seem a bit incredulous at times, and leaves you wondering just how Belle would have saved the day without this outside help turning up right when she needed it the most.

There's some stuff to like in this book though, the action is entertaining, and the plot does have some interesting moments, despite the weird coincidences and the almost shoehorning in of names and themes from Beauty and the Beast. Fans of the series will definitely enjoy the book, new readers will probably find stuff to like, even if it doesn't set your world on fire.

This comic book series was a wild ride! I thought Belle was a great character and I really liked how sarcastic and quippy she was. All of the mythical creatures were really cool! I also thought the art looked great. I do wish there was more background on C.H.I.P. and an how the monsters are part of our world. Perhaps those details will be revealed in future issues. Overall, I would say this was a solid start for the series. Fans of superhero comics and mythology will enjoy this one.